Star police present monthly and annual reports; treasurer reports steady revenues

Chief Tim Haynes told the Star City Council during its April 21 meeting that the department is on pace for the year with 103 offenses reported so far and 358 calls for service in March. "We are running at 103 for the year so far," Haynes said, and noted the department's adjusted crimes-per-thousand figure for 2025 is 13, which he said is below the target of 18.

Haynes highlighted operational trends and staffing changes. He said the department added a fully city-funded school-resource officer, that two new patrol deputies are joining the force (one already started), and that a recent promotion altered his command staff. He reported a 77.7% clearance rate for the year and said code-three emergency response times average 2 minutes 29 seconds inside city limits and 3 minutes 8 seconds outside. "Our clearance rate is well above the average in the state of Idaho," Haynes said.

Council members pressed Haynes on traffic enforcement and ticketing. The chief explained that infractions are generally traffic-related while misdemeanors can include drug possession and other society crimes, and that citation rates vary depending on encounters with repeat offenders. He described tools used to gather data, including speed trailers and unmarked units, and said residents can request trailer placement to gather raw speed data.

In the city's financial report, Treasurer Michelle told the council the city had collected $14.2 million in revenue as of March 31, 2026, roughly 53.5% of the annual budget. She said property tax collections totaled $1.43 million (65% of projection), building fees were $2.7 million (53%), and impact fees $4.36 million (54%). On expenditures she reported $11.94 million spent (45% of budget). "Our city's financial position is stable and our revenues and expenditures closely align to the budget," she said.

Council members asked for clarifications about items such as the composition of general fees and requested that code-enforcement statistics be added to monthly reports; Michelle agreed to provide that information.

The meeting included a short public-comment period. One resident, Mark, urged greater public awareness and intercity coordination on e-bike safety and regulation after noting the police report's mention of increased juvenile ebike activity. The council approved its consent agenda earlier in the meeting without further discussion.

The council did not take policy action tied to the police or treasurer reports at this meeting; items discussed (SRO staffing, new deputies, code-enforcement tracking and budget status) were described as updates and will inform future budget and operational decisions.